St. Landry democrat., 1887-08-27

| DOarQerS VINO are OF uOuleSLlC tulu anu
dislike going out alone invite her to the
Madison-square Theatre, made cool by fans
| passing and repassing over tons OF ice, or the
| Casino, where "Erminie'' still draws with
out regard to temperature. Confidentially she
remarked the other day that she had never
made so much money within the same space
of time and never enjoyed a summer more.
But all men cannot be diverted by the clever
wiles of widows, even if there were widows
enough to divert them. There is a lonely
man in house nearly opposite, who wears
out the sidewalk tramping up and down in
front of his empty dwelling. He evidently
suffers from the absence Of his wife and
children. He wanders from room to room
he sits out on the doorstep; be PAGES the flag
stones like sentry on duty; then he pulls
his hat over his eyes in desperation and
walks away. Where does he go? There
are so few places in a city in summer to go
to outside of ones home. The liquor sa-
loon is always there; it never takes vaca-
ton ; it finds profit enough to keep open
summer and winter. But the libraries are
closed, the galleries are closed, the churches
are clCsed-most of them-and the houses
of friends are closed. Where can a tired man
find refuge, except in saloon, a restaurant
or beer-garden? Yet there is no reason why
cities in summer should not be very differ
ent from this, why they should not be de-
lightfnl and attractive dwelling places-no
reason but the simple one that it is not the
fashion to live in them, and that it requires
the consensus of thought and willingness on
the part of the people to bring about a change
Yet with all the modern inventions and ap-
planes, how beautiful and enjoyable
summer city might be! If temperature can
be moderated at will in a theatre why not in
our houses? Why not be able to set slowly
moving fan in motion that would artticially
stir the air, cool and distribute it? Why
not extinguish the range fires, have the food
furnished by a neighborhood caterer the
clothes washed by a aeghborhood laundress?
We have an elevated" railroad which
creates an, in the air, pandemonium. Why
not have elevated gardens that would give US
an open air, and, in the air, paradise? If
King Ludwig of Bavaria could create a
winter garden, with lakes and Conservatives,
music and diversified attractions for his spe-
cial behoof and benefit, could not the SOW
ereign people Of any town or city in the
United States build for their own pleasure
summer garden in the air. which should be
grand promenade during the heat of the
summer months and a magnificent
sanitarium when these are succeeded by
the winters cold? In the building up
of great cities the object is to attract
populations, and keep them. The in
dustries of all of these now are crippled,
if not paralyzed, by the constant breaking
up and scattering of the people. In the
summer it is to get away from the heat, in
the winter it is to get away from the cold.
1t is true that waste places have been built
up in this effort to reduce physical discom-
fort to minimum. But why need jewellers
in the cities build them up at the expense
of their own best interests, at the sacrifice Of
home life, at the loss of that which is most
beautiful and attractive in social existence
and environment? Henry George would find
room for his energy in the waste places.
Under our present system we manage to kill
all enjoyment, and take the heart out of both
country and city life. There must be a better
way, and we ought to be able to find it;
way to unity the result of art and science,
and apply them to modify and improve the
conditions of our daily lives-not upset them.
The hanging gardens of Babylon-wasn't
it Babylon p were one of the seven wonders
of the world. We could beat them all to pieces
now without half trying. With sliding glass
and heated or refrigerated air, we could
adapt them to all seasons and temperatures.
The finest prismatic, perspective and scenic
effects could be produced, and divisions
o1o for lob fpr aAoS for
tories, for living pictures of the tropics, of
early England and old Egypt. In one groupof
floral pictures might be found the wonders
of Arizona and the Pacific coast west of the
Rocky Mountains; in another the pines and
hills of New Hampshire and the thrifty
houses of New England and the East.
AS a sanitarium, the gardens in the air
might embrace all the virtues of all the rene
dial resorts and agencies known. Pine odor
and oxygen could be combined in the air,
the softness of Florida and the Bermudas,
without humidity, and the gentleness of the
South without the inertia. Well, we have
not got them as yet, and we have got the heat
and the burdens of life The relief that is
principally felt and desired in leaving home
for the summer is the freedom from outside
cares and burdens imposed-from those that
are imposed by the needs Of others and the
complicated form of our social and individual
life. But the cessation of all social activities,
the absence of the dear Give hundred"
make this freedom as possible and actual in
the city as in the country, while the comfort
of breakfast in sacque," at any hour, the
doorbell at rest and the household goods in
tact when ones neighbors come home to con-
fusion and the intelligence office. are great
compensations for summering in the city,
even under the present imperfect conditions.
A POWERFUL THRUST.
Fourteen Inches of Solid Oak Pierced
Through by Swordfish.
General Rosacrans tells wonderful story